alcohol recovery resources

12 Step Recovery Programs

Twelve-step programs have long been an important part of the recovery process and the basis for many recovery programs. Developed over 65 years ago by a small group of alcoholics, the AA program provides simple tools for living based on a set of spiritual principles and a reliance on the fellowship of men and women who share their experience and offer support as part of a lifelong process of recovery. This approach has since been adapted for the treatment of many other addictions, and now includes other self-supporting fellowships such as CA and NA.

Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) (www.aa.org)
A twelve-step program for people in recovery from alcohol abuse. The site provides an online list of central offices and groups in the U.S. and Canada, meeting contact information, a description of the 12-steps and traditions, a listing of AA literature and a bulletin board.Some drug addicts prefer AA to NA or CA.

Alcoholics Anonymous: 12 Step Programs for the Deaf
(www.rit.edu/ntid/saisd/info/nationaldirectory)
Lists TTY equipped 12 Step offices available and other AA offices that rely on relay service for interaction with the Deaf. Information about ASL-interpreted AA meetings can usually be provided by local AA central or intergroup offices listed in the phone book. If there is no local AA office, the Alcoholics Anonymous General Service Office keeps an updated list of over 580 United States and Canadian AA central offices.

All Addictions Anonymous (alladdictionsanonymous.com)
All Addictions Anonymous focuses solely on the 12 step program and how to work the steps. They allow only brief personal sharing about “war stories” in order to illustrate patterns of addiction and do not explore psychological issues. The program connects suffering addicts to recovered addicts who guide newcomers through a personalized one- on-one study of the original 12 step program described in the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous. The program is open to people with any addiction. Go to the Contact Us section and leave a confidential message on their 24 hour pager: 416-468-8603 or send an email. You will be contacted and connected with someone in your area or arrangements will be made to get you help by phone.

Big Book Sponsorship (bigbooksponsorship.org)
The purpose of this site is to show people recovering from all addictions precisely how to recover using the Big Book of A.A. It provides information about the original A.A. Program that produced recovery rates that were 50-75% successful and information resources on who, where, why, what and how to use the Big Book and its methodology for facilitating spiritual experiences that enable the addict to recover. The site helps connect people with Big Book sponsors who practice the original program format.

Recoveries Anonymous (r-a.org)
Recoveries Anonymous (RA) is a recovery fellowship that uses the 12 steps for a “Solution Focused Program of Recovery.” It welcomes anyone with any kind of problem or self-destructive behavior including family and friends and those who are looking for spiritual growth. The goal of RA is to “restore one’s sanity”, not simply to remain abstinent. Their web site provides background information on their approach as well as a meeting locator and information on how to start a group. Free online recovery guides are available and downloadable PDF versions of RA’s solution focused books (small contribution is requested).

Recovery Zone (recoveryzone.org)
This site on 12 step recovery presents both the complete audio version (in streaming audio) and text version of the original book “Alcoholics Anonymous” book written in 1939, the basis of all the 12-step programs.

The Spiritual River(spiritualriver.com)
This web site is based on the 12 step model of recovery. It is very clearly written, encouraging, and covers the basic issues related to choosing and maintaining recovery. The section dedicated to exploring spirituality addresses the role of religion and philosophy in the recovery process.

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